Only Human
by TheMacUnleashed
Summary: On a distant planet during the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan realizes that despite being a Jedi, he is only human. First titled Loyalties.
1. Chapter 1

General Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed. "I think we're lost," he informed his former Padawan. Anakin shook his head, splattering him with drops of water from the recent rainfall. "A Jedi does not admit defeat."

"You still have much to learn. And a human admits defeat. You can't deny that Asajj got the best of us this time."

"Well, what do you propose now?"

He sighed again. The mission to Uti-Domum was supposed to be a simple one, or at least simple for these days: Lead the Clones up against a platoon of droids; no Ventress or any other key figures were supposed to be involved.

'Supposed to' being the key words.

They had been chasing her for almost two and a half hours, it was nightfall now, and how many miles away they were from where the Clones had been battling the droids was anyone's guess.

"Well, first, let's try to contact Commander Fleetwood." Obi-Wan activated his com-link, and was quickly able to get a connection. "Commander Fleetwood! What were the results of the battle?"

"We lost about a third of the men." His face was grim, and the General understood why. Some might feel that if you came out with over half of your soldiers alive, it was a good fight, but, well, they'd never been in a full scale war.

"General Kenobi, where are you? My locator indicates that you're almost twenty miles north of us." "I guess that would be accurate." Truth be, he had no idea which direction they had been running in. "Commander, it's almost twenty-one hundred hours. There's little chance of us making it to you unscathed." Uti-Domum was a quiet, peaceful planet by day, but by night, it was infamous for the dangerous wildlife that lived near the small villages that is was primarily composed of. "We'll meet up tomorrow, at nine hundred hours." "Agreed. Fleetwood out." "Kenobi out."

While they were speaking, Anakin had been wandering around. "There's a village less than a fourth of a mile away. We should be able to find somewhere to spend the night."

"We are supposed to walk up to a random house, and request shelter? That's not a very Jedi-like thing to do."

Even in the dark, Obi-Wan could make out the Chosen One's smirk. "But it is a human thing to do."

"I yield."

Anakin was proven correct. There was a town, albeit a small one, remarkably close by.

"I hope you realize how strange this is going to look. Two random humans-" The elder of the two was interrupted. "We are not 'two random humans'! I might remind you that our names are known even in the Outer Rims." "That's not entirely relevant. We are two people who have no association whatsoever with this planet walking up to an unknown house and requesting shelter."

"_That_ is irrelevant if we get shelter."

Obi-Wan braced himself as they approached an average-sized dwelling. "Relax, Obi-Wan. Just let me do the talking."

His once-Padawan strode confidently up to the door, and knocked twice.

"What is it?" a slightly hostile voice called out.

"Kindly open up!" it was not a question.

A man perhaps a few years younger, holding a blaster, opened the door a crack. "Yes?"

Anakin smiled. "Hello! I'm General Skywalker, and this is General Kenobi. On behalf of the Republic, we request that you grant us shelter."

"General Kenobi?" the man's tone was one of astonishment, which confused him slightly. Anakin was generally the more famous of the two. The person lowered the blaster and craned his neck to get a better look at him. His eyes widened. "It _is_ you! Well, I guess you'd better come in.

More befuddled then ever, Obi-Wan followed Anakin into the threshold.

**A/n: This will be short, only two or three chapters. **


	2. Chapter 2

As they entered, the man pressed a button to activate several lights. "We keep them off whenever possible," he explained, trailing off to an awkward silence.

"We appreciate this very much, Mr.-?" As he voiced the question, Obi-Wan was more aware than ever that the stranger hadn't taken his eyes off him.

_You have a stalker. _Anakin's voice entered through the bond they had established when he had been training him.

_That's not funny. _

"Owen-Srrisas. Just Owen is fine." The words broke through Obi-Wan's extremely strong mental glare at his former Padawan.

For the first time, he really noticed the stranger- Owen. He was about Anakin's height, although several years older than him. His eyes were a blue-grey color and far from dull; his hair the shade of cinnamon.

"Owen? Who's there?" An elderly woman walked into the room. She had obviously aged very gracefully; she held herself high and had snow white hair that cascaded down several inches below her shoulders. She stopped and observed them for a few seconds, and then turned to Owen- Obi-Wan guessed he was her son- clearly seeking an explanation.

"Mother"- he was right- "Generals Kenobi and Skywalker requested shelter for the night, and I couldn't refuse…"

"As you shouldn't have." She gave them a curt nod, and for reasons beyond him, Obi-Wan was filled with respect for the woman, aged but who had an air about her that was able to demand respect, without being imposing. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss-?"

"Kenobi."

He could sense Anakin's surprise, and he hoped that he did a better job hiding his.

_Anakin, it's just a coincidence. _

_I never knew Kenobi was a common name._

"Yes, Kenobi." The General was overcome with the unnerving feeling that the woman knew more about him than he did. "And no, it's not just by chance."

Obi-Wan ignored his once-apprentice's smug smile aimed at him.

"I'm your mother." "And I'm your younger brother."

He felt colder than the icy tundra of Hoth. He was frozen to the spot; his thoughts moving like water through ice.

_Say something. _

"You're my _mother? _And my _brother_?"

"Yes." The woman- Mrs. Kenobi- hurried out of the room, returning seconds later with two sheets of paper in her hands.

"Here. They're the birth certificates of you and your brother." He looked at them. Obi-Wan Kenobi, read the first. Born the second standard day of the twelfth standard month in the year 12,045 A.R. to Genetrix and Abbas Kenobi. Given to the Jedi at five standard months. Midi-Chlorian count of 15,200.

The second said, Owen-Srrisas Kenobi. Born the fifteenth standard day of the eleventh standard month in the year 12,048 A.R. to Genetrix and Abbas Kenobi. Midi-Chlorian count of 6,650.

All the information on his was correct, although he had never known his parents' names before. "You really are," he whispered.

Then, realizing that he was coming perilously close to showing emotion before strangers, family or not, he quickly tightened his mental shields, and calmed his expression.

"I must say, I am… surprised," he admitted.

_Act less Jedi-like._

_What?_

_You're more than surprised, and they're you're family. For once, show how you feel! _

For the first time, Obi-Wan wondered if he really should. 

**A/n: Sorry, all my stories are one day behind because I had almost no time to** **write Monday. I'd say I have a good excuse, but I was at the movies. Please review, and to my fellow American readers, happy Thanksgiving! Also, A.R. means after Republic, so after the Republic was created. **


	3. Chapter 3

_You do realize that that goes against my every instinct as a Jedi?_ Obi-Wan had the feeling that Anakin was more than slightly annoyed with him.

He knew that he was right when his former Padawan gave up all subtleties and openly glared at him.

_They are your family! Obi-Wan, you get one chance with them, and then it's over. Don't screw it up. _

The words surprised him more than he let show, although the tone startled him all the more: It was one of jealousy. _Anakin?_

_I'm sorry. It was just… memories. Still, it wouldn't kill you to show some feelings. _

With that, the younger of the two Jedi cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "I'll just be, uh, going for a walk now."

"No you won't." He could say one thing: His mother certainly was brave; even he feared directly contradicting Anakin. "I'm surprised you didn't remember; the woods surrounding us are full of animals that don't care who you are. If you want to give us a little privacy, which I hope you do, then just go into one of the other rooms. We're not hiding anything."

The Chosen One actually blushed. It was the first time his once-master had ever seen him do so, and his respect for the woman who was his mother grew.

"I'll just be going." With a final pointed stare at Obi-Wan, Anakin sauntered out of the room.

Obi-Wan vaguely wondered how much he could punish his once-Padawan without turning to the Dark Side. "So, um, what happened to my father?"

Owen and his mother bowed their heads. "Father was killed recently. He was a member of our planetary defense system. A droid got him while they were defending our village, Paese."

He didn't know what to say, or what to feel. On one hand, the man, Abbas, _was_ his biological father. But then again, he had never known him. Qui-Gon was his _real_ father.

Right?

"I'm sorry." It was his standard response upon learning of the death of a loved one. "What do you do for a living?" It was an impersonal question he knew, but what was he to say? He had never thought about what he would do if he ever met the ones that were related in blood to him.

Owen spoke first. "I'm also on the planetary defense system; most of the men here are." "And I was head of the Village Council for thirteen years, and served on it for twenty."

Obi-Wan nodded. He was about to ask about the circumstances surrounding them giving him to the Order, when the sound of glass breaking and a lightsaber igniting filled the room. "Obi-Wan! It's Ventress-" Anakin's voice broke off as the noise of blaster bolts came. Seconds later, droids filled the room.

The General had just enough time to yank his brother behind the protective shield of his lightsaber when Ventress entered. He was reaching for his mother, when she appeared behind her, and held her with a saber to her neck.

"Well, Kenobi? What will it be? Will you surrender yourself, or should I just kill the old woman?"

He hesitated…

_To be concluded… _


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment, Obi-Wan couldn't breath. He couldn't comprehend what was happening, it didn't make sense; it was utterly and entirely illogical! And then Anakin's voice entered his head, and he remembered to inhale.

_Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, are you okay?_

_I don't know… Anakin, what do I do?_ The General knew that he sounded desperate; that he was nowhere near keeping a cool head, but he couldn't stop himself. Making this decision, his life or that of the woman who had bore to him was an impossible one.

Anakin gazed sympathetically at him out of the corner of his eye. _I'm sorry. I can't make that choice. Only you can._

It was what he had expected. That didn't make it any easier to accept.

He gazed at his mother's face. She met his eyes without flinching. Their calm blue front told him nothing of what she wanted.

_Forbidden, attachments are. _But if he simply wanted to save an innocent civilian, did that really qualify as attachment? 

Obi-Wan turned to Ventress. _Anakin, follow my lead._ He dropped his lightsaber. "We surrender."

Asajj stared at him, a cruel glint in her catlike eyes. "Deception is the way of the Dark," she hissed softly. "You didn't really think that she would survive?" With that she stabbed her crimson blade into the chest of his mother.

He didn't remember calling his saber back to his hand. He didn't remember delivering the killing blow. All he could recall was the burning anger and the cool numbness of denial within him, like fire and ice, and Ventress's shocked expression during the last seconds of her life.

And then the world spun into clarity: Anakin standing beside him looking astonished; the corpse of Dooku's assassin below him, lying next to his mother's body…

Obi-Wan sank to his knees. Across from him, Owen had already knelt down and was cradling his- no, their- mother's head. He stared at his older brother, as if begging him to do something. The General shook his head, focusing on composing himself enough to speak. "I'm sorry-she's gone- so sorry…" he didn't trust his shields enough to say more.

Owen merely nodded, not bothering to hide the tears already streaming down his cheeks. "We should make the cremation arrangements. It's traditional here for them to be for only family and close friends." Obi-Wan murmured words of agreement. He left the arrangements to his brother, only giving ideas when he was requested to.

In the end, only he, Owen, and the village council ended up being there. He had asked Anakin to come, but the other Jedi had shied away, insisting that he wasn't a relative, and the Obi-Wan should get to know his brother better.

The funeral was short and to the point. Several of the members of the council gave speeches, all saying what would be expected at a burial. The Jedi Master just stood there, unsure of what to do.

Like everything did, the event came to an end. As the General watched the pyre consume his mother's body, he was overcome with the memory of another funeral: Standing, newly knighted, taking on a Padawan… Then, he had thought that he would never give in to his anger. Now, he didn't even trust himself.

Owen walked up to him. "Well, I guess you're leaving now."

"Yes, Anakin and I depart with the Clone Troopers soon."

His brother nodded, his face not showing any expression. "Obi-Wan, mother always said that we'd meet one day. She asked that when we did, I give you this." He handed him a small data chip, with the Jedi took at once. "Thank you. And goodbye… brother." Owen nodded. "Goodbye."

Later on the ship, the elder Jedi inserted the chip into his data pad.

_Obi-Wan,_ read the message.

_I will be dead when you receive this. You got your Force abilities from me. I was told I had too low a Midi-Chlorian count- whatever that means- to become a Jedi, but still, I was known for having accurate visions of the future. That was how I got to be on the village council, although that's not really important right now. My murderer will be killed by you in your rage. My son, I know that Jedi aren't allowed to feel this emotion. But please, remember this: Even as a Jedi, you are only human. Your emotions are part of you, a part that the Jedi can't destroy; a part that YOU can't destroy no matter how hard you try. Please remember this._

_I love you, my child. _

_Goodbye._

-End_-_


End file.
